Here's one we haven't seen before: the U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works (James Inhofe, chair), is releasing a periodic “Majority Fact of the Day[3],” the Aug. 4 edition featuring an attack on New York Times columnist Bob Herbert.

Until now, I always thought a fact was … well, a fact,[4] and I can only assume that Senator Inhofe calls his outburst a “majority fact” to distinguish it from … well, from an actual fact.

It's also interesting that the same piece, precisely, has been popping up on right-wing websites under the byline of Marc Morano, with no mention that it is a political press release or that Morano is Inhofe's communications director. For example, on Aug. 5, the “majority fact” appeared on Canada Free Press[5], a right-wing blog that advertises itself as “Canada's fastest-growing alternative news source.” On the 7th, it was posted on Eco-logic Powerhouse,[6] which claims its mission is “to advance the principles of freedom in public policy at every level of government, especially in the formulation and implementation of legislation and regulations that affect the environment and private property rights.”

Time was when a reputable news source would acknowledge the origins of a political opinion piece. In fact, a reputable news source - even an alternative one - might still.